Back in the day when Mom and Pop video stores were all over the place,
I like so many other horror buffs, rented movies with: 1. A cool title,
and/or 2. Cool artwork on the sleeve. The reason I rented this obscure
gem was solely because of the title. The Boogey Man was my biggest fear
as a kid and to see the man of my nightmares on the TV screen really
intrigued me. After seeing the film I was a tad disappointed that it
wasn't about "the" Boogey Man, but what softened that little blow was
the movie itself.

Pros: Atmospheric. A goosebump-inducing score. Good performances from a
mostly unknown cast. Inventive kills, especially the ones involving
teenagers. Some very eerie moments. Plenty of blood for gorehounds. A
very threatening monster, similar to Michael Myers.

Cons: Derivative of other horror films of the era like 'The Exorcist'
and 'Halloween'. For example, the opening is similar to the one in
'Halloween'. The scene is still effective, but the obvious borrowed
elements make the film lack originality. The pacing is slow at times.
Though the score is great, the composer uses some cheesy sound effects
too. The climax, though fun, is a bit over-the-top compared to the rest
of the film.

Final thoughts: Though not in the same league as the films it tries to
imitate, this film still has a life of it's own. Unlike a lot of
lacklustre horror films today like 'Darkness Falls' and 'Dracula 2000,'
this is one of those movies that stays with you after you see it. It's
also better than the two sequels it spawned.

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